Nagpur: In good news for devotees, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) issued a circular on Monday waiving all charges for Ganpati Mandals. NMC has waived off all fees from Mandals and sculptors. NMC waived off charges for erecting pandals either in any public places or on private property, according to reports in local media. These decisions were a fallout of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde last week easing terms and conditions for public celebration of festivals, reports added.
According to NMC, Mandals will still have to take mandatory permissions from various government offices like the civic body, Fire Department, city police etc. For this purpose, a single window system will also be started soon,” said the reports.
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Wed 11 Dec. 2024
As per the notification, there will be no height restriction for Ganesha idols of public Ganeshotsav Mandals this year. The NMC, however, is firm on its decision of disallowing immersion of any idols taller than 4 ft in the city. It has already banned immersion in city’s water bodies, and immersion of idols will be allowed only in artificial tanks across the city.
NMC issued a circular asking organisers to make their own arrangements to immerse idols taller than 4 ft outside the city limits. Such Mandals should inform the concerned police department and take proper permission for the procession, the civic body said.
Earlier, NMC had capped the height of domestic Ganesh idols at 2 ft, but now there will be no height limit for idols, it stated. However, NMC has appealed to citizens to voluntarily ensure the height of individual idols does not exceed 2 ft.
Following the CM’s directives, NMC has decided not to levy permission fee from any Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal. So, this year NMC will waive off Rs 200 which it used to charge as permission fee from the Mandals, said the reports.
The NMC’s Fire and Emergency Services Department too will waive off mandatory fees from idol makers. The NMC administrator issued directives not to levy any charges on Mandals for erecting pandals across the city. NMC’s Garden Department and Estate Department too will not levy any charges.
Though all the fees have been waived off, the circular has clarified that various safety rules and terms and conditions issued by other departments, like ban on plastics and thermocol used for decorations, will have to be followed.
NMC’s circular does not mention anything regarding PoP idols — whether sale and purchase of the same would be allowed in the city. Even the CM had not mentioned any ban. Instead, Shinde had formed a technical committee which would take a decision regarding PoP idols and would come out with an eco-friendly solution to the issue.
